The High Court (HC) ordered on Wednesday the concerned bodies of the government to take more effective measures and to spray medicine in an intensive way across the country-including the capital city-to destroy the breeding fields of the Aedes mosquitoes in order to prevent dengue.
The court said that if necessary a campaign might be conducted with the people of all levels by declaring schools, colleges, offices and courts closed for a day or two to implement this step.
Meanwhile, the court did not pass any order on constituting a judicial commission to probe into negligence of the two city corporations and the incident of deaths due to dengue and chikungunya.
Advocates of the government and two city corporations of Dhaka said in the court that if a judicial commission was constituted then the activities of mosquito repellent activities would be hampered seriously.
Then the court asked the concerned bodies of the government and two city corporations of Dhaka to submit separate reports in the court by October 16 over the progress on preventive steps taken against the mosquito menace.
The HC bench fixed October 16 for passing further order on this issue.
The High Court bench of Justice Tariq ul Hakim and Md Shohrowardy passed the order after hearing a suo moto rule issued in this regard.
Barrister Taufiq Inam Tipu appeared in the court on behalf of Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and Advocate Barek Chowdhury appeared for Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) while Deputy Attorney General Kazi Mainul Hasan stood for the government.
About the judicial inquiry, the court said, "People are dying every day. News of death is coming in the media. Common people -- including children and elderly -- are suffering unexpected problems. This is due to the negligence of the government and the city corporations of Dhaka. So the matter needs to be investigated. However, as you (lawyers) request to pass order on constituting an inquiry committee after the vacation, therefore the matter has been postponed."
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) submitted a report in the court yesterday.
On August 26, the High Court observed that the government along with the two city corporations of Dhaka cannot avoid the responsibility for not importing effective medicine in time to prevent dengue menace.
Earlier, the court fixed August 28 for passing an order on whether a judicial commission will be constituted to probe into the incidents of deaths due to dengue and chikungunya, another mosquito-borne disease.
Earlier on July 14, the same HC bench ordered the DNCC and DSCC mayors and CEOs (chief executive officers), health secretary, local government division secretary and director general (DG) of DGHS to submit reports on what steps have been taken by them to prevent dengue and chikungunya.
On the same day on July 14, the court also issued a rule asking the government to explain as to why the inaction and failure of the respondents to prevent dengue mosquitoes should not be declared illegal.
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